Question for those of you that use your broody Chicken to hatch duck e

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Well, it's great you have the option of using a bator. I'm not brave enough to even go there after reading all the stories here of how things don't go well.

I'm just so surprised to have any of the duck eggs still going. One mom got taken in the night, found the eggs cool the next morning.

I'm not sure how long it took the other duck to go back to the nest while I was at work. She wasn't able to cover all 15 eggs herself. Two of them were totally cold.

I moved her that night to a secure pen and locked her in but she didn't want anything to do with the moved eggs, so I put them under my broody BO. I left the two cold eggs with her, just in case she decided to settle down and sit on the eggs. She gave up on being broody.

Two days later, BO moved to another nest box leaving the duck eggs to cool when I found them. That was last Saturday. I put them all back under her not expecting any of them to make it and was SHOCKED to see movement in 12 of the 13 eggs, with pips into the membrane in 3 of them last night when I candled them.

 

[PlumTuckered]

You've got your own little ducky miracles It just amazes me when things like that happen and the babies make it.
I've got a 2 yr old Pekin on eggs right now (more Mallard eggs), she went broody on dud eggs last year so this year I decided to let her go ahead and try. I've no idea if she'll go the full time with them or not. I've got a Mallard hen that acts broody but will not get on a nest LOL My girls can drive me crazy at times ;-)


Michelle

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Well, dang it. I thought I would leave the pipped eggs under the hen longer to give them a chance to obsorb the yolk, since the last two hadn't.

One of the babys was under the hen with her standing on half the shell and the baby dead with very little yolk obsorbed. So, I'm back to having 4 pipped eggs in my bra. It seemed to help the first two keeping them in my bra and opening the shell little by little.

It's going to be a long night.

 

[PlumTuckered]

Oh Hon, I'm soooo sorry! I hope the ones in your bra hatch out with no troubles!!
Baby Mallard number 4 hatched out during the night, so I was able to save all 4 from that crazy Hen. My BO hen is still happily sitting on her 11 mallard eggs, they're due to hatch on sunday.

Keep me posted on those bra babies


Michelle

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Last nights bra babies all hatched out during the night. The last one at 4 am was a little weak still when I checked the brooder when I left for work at 8 am.

The four remaining eggs under the hen had pipped during the night and I'm at work (Respiratory Department Admin Asst at local hospital) with the four eggs in my sports bra. (sports bras are great because they leave a gap in the middle).

I have my radio up so people can't hear the chirps. Only my boss and one other co-worker knows.

My boss said I'm skating on thin ice. I told him I couldn't leave them home to die. He has asked me on a couple occations when I have needed to take time off due to my critters, "do you want to be a farmer or work here?"

I said both. I told him he doesn't ask those out with sick kids "do you want to be a mom/dad or work here". He reminded me this morning there's a big difference between people, kids, and pets.

I reminded him that at least I don't take vacations where I'm out for a week or so at a time.

Oh - well, I feel lucky to have a job in todays market.

 

[PlumTuckered]

Non Duck folks just don't understand. Your place sounds like mine with tons of "baby" activity going on LOL
I checked my calender and the Mallard eggs under the BO Chicken are due to hatch tomorrow..not sunday, about 2 hours ago one of her eggs hatched out and another has no shell left, just membrane but it busted through it so I'm keeping a close eye in case it needs the bator. The two mallard babies that hatched out last night I put under her and she accepted them no problem, one got out of my hand as I was trying to place it under the hen and bless her heart she just gave a soft cluck and coaxed the baby under her. This hen is worth her weight in gold! Once all of her eggs hatch and the babies are up and active I'll see if she'll accept the 2 day old babies as well. She is so sweet she even lets me reach in and touch the eggs and babies without a fuss.

I hope your Boss doesn't give you anymore grief over the eggs.

Michelle

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I ended up with 10 healthy babies. One of the four I went to work with in my bra died. Other 3 very healthy and had obsorbed all of the yolk by the time I got home from work and popped them out of the last half of shell.

They dried off and were much more active than the first ones I hatched out. Half of those still had a tummy bulg from the yolk.

This pic was taken this morning after I put down fresh puppy pads over the top of wood pellet bedding. Boy, baby ducks are so much more active and messy from day 1 vs baby chicks.

These babies were layed by two silver appleyards and the possible dads are 1 appleyard and 2 call ducks. I got my ducks when they were older and all feathered out, so I missed the baby stage.

 

[PlumTuckered]

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Congratulations Hon, they're beautiful!!! Nothing prettier than a pile of ducklings They look so peaceful and tired!
I'm sorry you lost one. I lost one as well or rather my hen did, the baby only lasted about an hour and passed away in my hand...I took it out and buried it and cried like a baby. Right now my BO Hen has 7 babies with her (4 I hatced in the bator and 3 she hatched) and 5 eggs still under her. THe eggs were all due to hatch today and she's still sitting tight on them so I'm playing the waiting game. No pips as of 20 minutes ago.

I did have to toss 2 eggs out that were turning black and stinky. I tossed them out into the back pasture and they made a good loud pop when they exploded, so glad they didn't explode under my hen!

Michelle who needs to get outside and take photos of the new family.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I can't wait to see your pics.